This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with 4% multispecies probiotic fermented broth (MPFB) on the apparent nutrient digestibility, carcass traits, serum immune indices, intestinal morphology, cecal microbiota, and thigh muscle nutrient composition in 815-strain yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 400 healthy 4-day-old broilers with similar body weight and a 1:1 sex ratio were randomly assigned to the control group with basal diet (CON) or the MPFB group with 4% MPFB. The results showed that MPFB significantly increased the apparent digestibility of crude protein and calcium (p < 0.05), and that of crude fiber and phosphorus (p < 0.01). The MPFB group had a higher thigh muscle yield and a lower abdominal fat yield (p < 0.05), while carcass yield tended to increase (p = 0.071). MPFB also elevated serum immunoglobulin M and interleukin-2 concentrations (p < 0.05), increased duodenal villus height (p < 0.05), reduced duodenal crypt depth (p < 0.05), and increased the villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p < 0.05). Cecal microbiota analysis showed that MPFB significantly enriched Ruminococcus gauvreauii_group, Ruminococcus torques_group, and Turicibacter (p < 0.05), while Bacteroides tended to increase (p = 0.093), which were positively correlated with the improved nutrient digestibility and duodenal morphology. In thigh muscle, MPFB tended to increase cysteine content (p = 0.081), decreased C14:0 (p < 0.05), C16:0 and total saturated fatty acids (p < 0.01), increased C20:2 (p < 0.05), and tended to decrease C12:0 and C16:1 but increase C18:2n6c and total polyunsaturated fatty acid (p < 0.10). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 4% MPFB improved nutrient utilization and selected carcass traits and modulated the thigh muscle fatty acid profile in yellow-feathered broilers, which are potentially associated with improved intestinal morphology and modulation of the cecal microbiota.

The efficient valorization of swine wastewater is hampered by high pathogen loads and significant nitrogen (N) loss during conventional treatment. This study presents and validates an innovative three-stage process, termed the "Acidic Nitrogen Fixation and Alkaline Neutralization" (ANFAN) process, designed to transform this nitrogen-loss paradigm by converting SWW into a safe, nutrient-enriched bio-fertilizer. The process is initiated with a low-dose ozone pretreatment (20 mgL-1, 15 min), which achieves >99% inactivation of key pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes (99.92%) and Escherichia coli (99.18%), thereby effectively overcoming the primary biosafety hurdle. The core of the process is an acidic nitrogen fixation stage, where at a controlled pH of 3, an inoculated, earthworm-derived diazotrophic consortium fixes atmospheric N-2 while suppressing N-loss pathways, resulting in a substantial net TN increase of approximately 50%. In the final stage, alkaline neutralization adjusts the bio-fertilizer to a pH of 6.5 to ensure agronomic safety and mitigate soil acidification risks. Metagenomic analysis confirmed this functional basis, revealing a significant upregulation of key genes involved in nitrogen fixation (nif) and assimilation (nas). Pot experiments using Brassica rapa var. chinensis demonstrated the significant plant-growth-promoting potential of the resulting bio-fertilizer, providing direct evidence of its agronomic viability. The ANFAN process thus establishes a mechanism-supported, cost-effective pathway for the safe and efficient nutrient recovery from livestock wastewater, thereby advancing the circular agricultural economy.

Intestinal health is critical for efficient swine production, yet effective intervention strategies remain limited. This study evaluated the impacts of dietary Brevibacillus laterosporus BL1 (live or heat-killed form) on finishing pigs, focusing on serum parameters, antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier, cecal microbiota, and microbial metabolic profiles. Results demonstrated that relative to the control group (CON), B. laterosporus BL1 (both live and heat-killed forms) decreased serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, ameliorated serum lipids, and enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the heat-killed form was comparable to the live bacteria in strengthening the intestinal barrier, as evidenced by improved intestinal morphology, upregulated barrier-related proteins (ZO-1, Muc-1, and Muc-2), decreased serum lipopolysaccharide levels, and raised intestinal anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-22) and immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM). Further, metagenomic analysis of cecal digesta demonstrated that heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 elevated the proportions of potentially beneficial genera Limosilactobacillus and Lactobacillus, while suppressed potential pathogens Clostridium and Terrisporobacter. Consistently, heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 increased cecal levels of lactate, total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), acetic acid, and butyric acid, while decreasing the concentration of phenol, indole, skatole, and biogenic amines (total amines, methylamine, cadaverine, and putrescine). Thus, heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 emerges as a promising agent for promoting overall physiological status and intestinal health in finishing pigs.

Magnolol is a natural bioactive phenolic compound with potent antioxidant properties and plays an important role in modulating intestinal healthy. However, the underlying mechanisms of magnolol in alleviating intestinal oxidative stress damage and improving the intestinal barrier integrity remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of magnolol on intestinal antioxidant capacity and barrier function in weaned piglets and 2,2 '-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH) challenged IPEC-J2 cell models. The results showed that magnolol supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) serum T-AOC, jejunal mucosa T-SOD and GSH-PX, and ileal mucosa T-SOD activities in weaned piglets. Magnolol also upregulated (p < 0.05) the mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, CAT, GCLM, and GR) in the small intestine, while decreased (p < 0.05) the MDA level in both serum and jejunum. Meanwhile, magnolol improved intestinal barrier function, as evidenced by reduced (p < 0.05) serum diamine oxidase activity, D-lactate acid, and endotoxin levels, while increased (p < 0.05) villus height and jejunal and ileal protein expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1). It further downregulated (p < 0.05) the proapoptosis protein (caspase-9, caspase-3, and Bax) and upregulated antiapoptosis protein Bcl2. In vitro studies further revealed that magnolol pretreatment effectively alleviated (p < 0.05) AAPH-induced oxidative stress, barrier dysfunction, and apoptosis by activating the key proteins expression in Nrf2 signaling pathway in IPEC-J2 cells. These findings indicated that magnolol enhances intestinal antioxidant capacity and exerts antiapoptotic effects, while preserving epithelial barrier integrity, potentially via activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

[Objective]To elucidate the microbiological mechanisms through which long-term straw return influences the severity of bacterial diseases in paddy fields,thereby providing a theoretical basis for precise disease prevention and control.[Method]Based on a long-term field location experiment in Huizhou,Guangdong Province,this study implemented three treatments:1.3 times the amount of full straw returned(S30,with a seasonal application rate of 8 425 kg·hm-2),full straw returned(CKS,with a seasonal application rate of 6 400 kg·hm-2),and no straw returned(CK).Using metagenomic sequencing,we systematically compared the dynamics of soil bacterial community structure and the relative abundance of key pathogenic species(including Burkholderia glumae,Xanthomonas oryzae,and Dickeya oryzae)under different straw management practices,and examined their relationships with environmental factors through correlation analysis.[Result]Straw returning significantly enhanced the species richness of soil bacterial communities(P<0.05)and altered their structural composition.Among the detected phyla,Proteobacteria,Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria were identified as the dominant taxa,and their relative abundances were significantly influenced by both the amount of returned straw and the growth stages of rice.Redundancy analysis confirmed that soil pH served as a key environmental factor driving shifts in community structure(P=0.024).Straw returning generally reduced the abundance of three pathogenic bacteria during the tillering stage.It also lowered the disease severity indices for bacterial leaf blight,leaf streak,and panicle blight of rice,though not significantly,and even carried a potential risk of increasing foot rot incidence.At the maturity stage,S30 significantly increased the abundance of B.glumae and X.oryzae,while the relative abundance of D.oryzae was markedly reduced.Additionally,S30 significantly promoted the aggravation of bacterial leaf blight and raised the incidence of leaf streak and foot rot.In contrast,CKS showed no significant negative impact on the occurrence of most bacterial diseases.Its disease incidence was only slightly higher than that of CK,and the disease index performance remained relatively moderate.Correlation analysis revealed that at maturity,the abundances of Burkholderia and Xanthomonas were significantly positively correlated with soil pH,while at the tillering stage,Dickeya abundance showed a strong association with soil available phosphorus content.[Conclusion]Long-term straw returning is altering the soil microenvironment,resulting in dual specificity on the type and growth stage of bacterial diseases in rice.At the tillering stage,it reduced the disease indices of bacterial leaf blight,leaf streak,and panicle blight,though not significantly,while even increasing the risk of bacterial foot rot.At maturity,however,straw returning promoted different bacterial diseases depending on the amount applied.Among the treatments,S30 showed the most pronounced effects,providing a scientific basis for ecologically sustainable management of bacterial diseases in rice.

Concentrated animal feeding operations generate substantial manure wastewater, leading to malodorous gas emissions and environmental challenges. Skatole, a major malodorous compound in manure wastewater, exhibits biotoxicity and environmental persistence, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. The application of skatole-degrading bacteria is a promising green technology. Nonetheless, its practical implementation is hindered by the strains' limited efficacy in actual manure wastewater and the storage and application issues. Enterococcus hirae IDO5, isolated from swine manure, was for the first time identified as capable of effectively degrading skatole in swine manure wastewater. Transcriptomic, metabolomic and molecular docking analyses revealed that skatole degradation mediated by IDO5 primarily proceeds via a novel phenylalanine-acetophenone-phenylacetaldehyde -phenylacetic acid metabolic pathway, which is regulated by the flavocytochrome c and adhE. Flavocytochrome c may be the key enzyme catalyzing the initial modification reaction of skatole, while adhE may be responsible for the subsequent conversion of intermediate products. Furthermore, a IDO5 lyophilized powder (IDO5LP) with high viability was successfully formulated, exhibiting efficient degradation of skatole, indole, and ammonia in swine manure wastewater. 16S rDNA results revealed that IDO5 was capable of effectively surviving and colonizing in swine manure wastewater following the application of IDO5LP. Beyond direct skatole degradation, IDO5 suppressed the growth of skatole-producing bacteria (e.g., Megasphaera elsdenii), leading to a short-term microbial community alteration associated with reduced skatole production. These findings provide valuable guidance for the scalable biological solution to improve animal waste management.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction can cause gastrointestinal diseases and retardation in both human infants and young animals. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, exhibits diverse physiological activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has demonstrated potential to enhance intestinal health. However, the exact underlying mechanisms linking quercetin with the intestinal barrier integrity remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate whether and how quercetin can ameliorate intestinal barrier dysfunction in LPS-challenged weaned piglets and TNF-alpha challenged IPEC-J2 cells models. The results showed that quercetin supplementation significantly reduced serum, jejunal, and ileal mucosa TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma concentrations in the LPS-challenged piglets (P < 0.05). Quercetin also decreased crypt depth in jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05), while significantly increasing the villus height:crypt depth ratio in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, quercetin improved intestinal barrier function, as evidenced by decreased serum endotoxin levels and diamine oxidase activity (P < 0.05) as well as up-regulated jejunal protein expression and immunofluorescence intensity of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1) (P < 0.05), ileal occludin and claudin-1 protein expression (P < 0.05). In vitro studies further revealed that quercetin pretreatment effectively ameliorated (P < 0.05) TNF-alpha-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by suppressing the key proteins expression in PKC alpha-/MLCK signaling pathway in IPEC-J2 cells. These findings indicated that quercetin ameliorates intestinal barrier dysfunction by upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins, potentially through the suppression of the PKC alpha/MLCK signaling pathway.

Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a main nonenzymatic antioxidant, but its effects and underlying mechanisms on growth and intestinal health in weaned piglets still require further assessment. A total of 180 weaned piglets were randomly allotted to 5 groups: a basal diet (CON), and a basal diet supplemented with antibiotic chlortetracycline (ABX), 50 (GSH1), 65 (GSH2), or 100 mg/kg GSH (GSH3). Results revealed that dietary GSH1, GSH2, and ABX improved body weight and the average daily gain of weaned piglets, and ABX decreased albumin content but increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity and the ratio of AST to alanine transaminase levels in plasma. GSH2 significantly decreased glucose content but increased the content of triglyceride and cholesterol in the plasma. Both GSH1 and GSH2 improved the jejunal mucosa architecture (villus height, crypt depth, and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth), tight junction protein (ZO-1 and Occludin), and antioxidant capacity (CAT and MDA), and the effects were superior to ABX. Dietary GSH improved the jejunal barrier by probably inhibiting the myosin light chain kinas pathway to up-regulate the transcript expression of tight junction protein (ZO-1 and Occludin) and Mucins. Through the proteomics analysis of the jejunal mucosa using 4D-DIA, the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentiated proteins were significantly enriched in redox homeostasis-related pathways such as glutathione metabolism, cytochrome P450, the reactive oxygen species metabolic pathway, the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase pathway in GSH2 vs. CON and in GSH2 vs. ABX. The results of proteomics and qRT-PCR showed that GSH supplementation might dose-dependently promote growth performance and that it alleviated the weaning stress-induced oxidative injury of the jejunal mucosa in piglets by activating SIRTI and Akt pathways to regulate GPX4, HSP70, FoxO1. Therefore, diets supplemented with 50–65 mg/kg GSH can promote the growth of and relieve intestinal oxidative injury in weaned piglets.

BACKGROUND:High-fat diet (HFD)-induced intestinal damage contributes to metabolic dysfunction and systemic inflammation. Brevibacillus laterosporus, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, has been approved as a microbial feed additive in the breeding industry and may improve intestinal health. This study investigated whether B. laterosporus BL1 enhances intestinal health in HFD-fed mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD with or without B. laterosporus BL1 supplementation for 8 weeks. RESULTS:The findings showed that B. laterosporus BL1 reduced intestinal morphological damage, enhanced epithelial barrier integrity, and promoted mucosal repair. It also alleviated intestinal inflammation by suppressing innate immune components and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the ileum, B. laterosporus BL1 downregulated the expression of lipid transport-related molecules. It altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota: the abundance of Faecalibaculum decreased in both the ileum and cecum, and the proportions of ileal norank_f__Erysipelotrichaceae and cecal Lactobacillus increased. CONCLUSION:The results indicated that B. laterosporus BL1 alleviated intestinal injury in HFD-fed mice by improving intestinal barrier function, enhancing gut immune homeostasis, reducing intestinal lipid transport, and modulating gut microbiota composition. This raises the possibility of using B. laterosporus BL1 as a potential agent to maintain a host-friendly gut environment. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary iron and zinc supplementation from inorganic (CON) and organic sources (ORG) on growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid profile, and metabolome in pigs. Growth performance was unaffected by the treatments, but carcass traits such as loin muscle area, hot carcass weight, and yield in the ORG group were higher than in the CON group. The ORG supplements improved the quality (color, pH, shear force, marbling scores, IMF, IMP, and zinc) of raw meat and sensory traits (odor, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and soup freshness) of cooked meat. Postmortem time significantly affected meat quality such as L*, a*, b*, and pH, as well as interacted with diet to affect pH of the LT. The ORG supplements altered fatty acid composition of pork. The results indicated that organic iron and zinc improved carcass traits, pork quality, and eating acceptability by increasing flavor substances and by altering fatty acid profile and metabolome.

Passiflora edulis Sims peel (Chinese name Baixiangguo, BXG) is a by-product with a high nutritional and economic value of Passiflora edulis Sims. In this study, corn was partly replaced with BXG to make feed for finishing pigs and the effects on the carcass traits, meat quality, muscle amino acid profile, and gene expression of finishing pigs were evaluated. A total of 20 healthy finishing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Large) were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (CON) was fed the basal diet, and the experimental group (BXG) was fed a basal diet with BXG instead of 10% corn for a period of 43 d. Compared to the CON group, the carcass weight, intramuscular fat content, and marbling score were significantly increased, while the drip loss, b* value, and shear force of the BXG group were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Gene expression analysis showed that the mRNA expression of lipid synthesis and oxidative-type fiber related genes was significantly increased in the BXG group (p < 0.05). Proteomic research revealed that the metabolic pathways of the BXG and CON groups differed significantly. A total of 36 differentially expressed proteins were identified, mainly related to energy metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and endocrine regulation pathways. However, the contents of glutamine, glutamate, proline, and other amino acids in the BXG group were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Overall, this study has a positive effect on improving meat quality, but the specific mechanism needs to be further explored, which offers practical guidance for the application of BXG in producing higher-quality pork and further promotes its commercial application.

Saponins limit the use of Camellia oleifera meal (COM) as a feed ingredient. An appropriate utilization strategy is essential for converting COM into a viable feed raw material. We found that a Na2CO3 solution was an effective detoxifier, significantly reducing saponin content (vs. untreatment, up to 82.71 %, P < 0.001) while modifying microbial community structure and metabolites. Subsequent fermentation of detoxified COM further lowered saponin levels (21.83-23.61 %, P < 0.001), improved nutritional composition, and increased the abundance of beneficial metabolites. The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria rose (Pediococcu, Levilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, etc), whereas harmful microorganisms declined. Dietary supplementation trials in chickens showed that untreated COM significantly reduced final and daily weight gain by 16.67 % and 47.60 % (P < 0.001) respectively, compared to control and fermented COM group, while fermented COM had no negative effect on growth performance or carcass traits (P > 0.05) compared with control group. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the use of fermented COM as a feed raw material.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing fermented mulberry leaves (FML) on intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in the gut of finishing pigs. Eighteen 132-day-old healthy crossbred (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) male castrated pigs were randomly divided into two treatment groups with nine replicates per group. The control (CON) group was fed the basal diet, and the FML group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 10% FML. The experiment lasted 69 days. The results showed that 10% FML improved gut health. The apparent total tract digestibility in dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acidic detergent fiber, ether extract, and crude ash increased in the 10% FML group of finishing pigs compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Duodenal, jejunal, and ileal intestinal morphology, such as villus height and villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio, increased in the 10% FML group compared to the CON group, whereas crypt depth decreased in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity increased in the ileum of the 10% FML group compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). The FML supplementation improved the contents of duodenal immunoglobulin A, jejunal interleukin-1β, interleukin-8, ileal interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and immunoglobulins A and M compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, FML downregulated the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α in the duodenum, Toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor-κ B-P65, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in the jejunum, and Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κ B-P65 in the ileum (p < 0.05). The FML also upregulated Montrose uniting church 1 in the duodenum and claudin 2 in the ileum (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 10% FML improved the gut health of finishing pigs and FML is a potential feed ingredient for pig breeding.

Approximately one-third of the entire world’s food resources are deemed to be wasted. Palm kernel meal (PKM), a product that is extensively generated by the palm oil industry, exhibits a unique nutrient-rich composition. However, its recycling is seldom prioritized due to numerous factors. To evaluate the impact of enzymatic pretreatment and Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation upon the antioxidant activity of PKM, we implemented integrated metagenomics and metabolomics approaches. The substantially enhanced (p < 0.05) property of free radicals scavenging, as well as total flavonoids and polyphenols, demonstrated that the biotreated PKM exhibited superior antioxidant capacity. Non-targeted metabolomics disclosed that the Lactobacillus fermentation resulted in substantial (p < 0.05) biosynthesis of 25 unique antioxidant biopeptides, along with the increased (p < 0.05) enrichment ratio of the isoflavonoids and secondary metabolites biosynthesis pathways. The 16sRNA sequencing and correlation analysis revealed that Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and polysaccharide lyases had significantly dominated (p < 0.05) proportions in PMEL, and these bacterial species were strongly (p < 0.05) positively interrelated with antioxidants peptides. Fermented PKM improves nutritional value by enhancing beneficial probiotics, enzymes, and antioxidants and minimizing anti-nutritional factors, rendering it an invaluable feed ingredient and gut health promoter for animals, multifunctional food elements, or as an ingredient in sustainable plant-based diets for human utilization, and functioning as a culture substrate in the food sector.

Mulberry leaves are rich in nutrients but contain anti-nutrient factors that hinder their digestion and absorption. Feeding animals with mulberry leaves directly could harm their health. The microbial fermentation of mulberry leaves could reduce their anti-nutritional factors’ content and improve their nutritional value. Sequencing and analyzing mulberry leaves before and after fermentation showed that fermentation increased the relative abundance of Pediococcus, Bradyrhizobium, Hydrotalea, and Rhodanobacteria, and decreased that of Enterobacter. Fermentation improved the quality of mulberry leaves by rebuilding the bacterial community. Finishing pigs were raised on fermented mulberry leaves (FML), and their carcass performance, meat quality, economic benefits, and gut microbiome were evaluated. FML had no negative impact on pig carcass performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity, and could somewhat improve the economic benefits. FML decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the colon and Streptococcus in the feces, and increased that of Actinobacteria (cecum, colon, feces) and Prevotella (colon). The gut core microorganisms in the FML group were mainly enriched with Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, Bifidobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriales, and other beneficial microorganisms. Dietary FML reduced ammonia, indole, and skatole contents in the feces. In conclusion, FML reshaped the gut microbiota without negatively affecting pig product performance, produced cleaner waste, and improved environmental protection and sustainability, making it an attractive prospective feed for pigs.

About one-third of the global food supply is wasted. Brewers’ spent grain (BSG), being produced in enormous amounts by the brewery industry, possesses an eminence nutritional profile, yet its recycling is often neglected for multiple reasons. We employed integrated metagenomics and metabolomics techniques to assess the effects of enzyme treatments and Lactobacillus fermentation on the antioxidant capacity of BSG. The biotreated BSG revealed improved antioxidant capability, as evidenced by significantly increased (p < 0.05) radical scavenging activity and flavonoid and polyphenol content. Untargeted metabolomics revealed that Lactobacillus fermentation led to the prominent synthesis (p < 0.05) of 15 novel antioxidant peptides, as well as significantly higher (p < 0.05) enrichment of isoflavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. The correlation analysis demonstrated that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum exhibited strong correlation (p < 0.05) with aucubin and carbohydrate-active enzymes, namely, glycoside hydrolases 25, glycosyl transferases 5, and carbohydrate esterases 9. The fermented BSG has potential applications in the food industry as a culture medium, a functional food component for human consumption, and a bioactive feed ingredient for animals.

Skatole of gut origin has garnered significant attention as a malodorous pollutant due to its escalating emissions, recalcitrance to biodegradation and harm to animal and human health. Magnolol is a health -promoting polyphenol with potential to considerably mitigate the skatole production in the intestines. To investigate the impact of magnolol and its underlying mechanism on the skatole formation, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted in pigs. Our results revealed that skatole concentrations in the cecum, colon, and faeces decreased by 58.24% (P = 0.088), 44.98% (P < 0.05) and 43.52% (P < 0.05), respectively, following magnolol supplementation. Magnolol supplementation significantly decreased the abundance of Lachnospira, Faecalibacterium, Paramuribaculum, Faecalimonas, Desulfovibrio, Bariatricus, and Mogibacterium within the colon (P < 0.05). Moreover, a strong positive correlation (P < 0.05) between skatole concentration and Desulfovibrio abundance was observed. Subsequent in silico studies showed that magnolol could dock well with indolepyruvate decarboxylase (IPDC) within Desulfovibrio. Further in vitro investigation unveiled that magnolol addition led to less indole-3pyruvate diverted towards the oxidative skatole pathway by the potential docking of magnolol towards IPDC, thereby diminishing the conversion of substrate into skatole. Our findings offer novel targets and strategies for skatole emission from the source.

Consumer demand for tastier and higher-quality pork is increasing. Probiotics have been reported to improve meat quality, but the species of probiotics are limited, and efficacy is discrete. This study investigated the effects of dietary Brevibacillus laterosporus BL1 (live and heat-killed form) supplementation on the meat quality of finishing pigs. Results revealed that both live and heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 supplementation increased pH24h and decreased drip loss (P < 0.05) compared to the control group (CON). Moreover, compared to the CON group, heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 supplementation exhibited a stronger ability to improve meat quality (redness, shear force, inosine monophosphate, and intramuscular fat content, P < 0.05), antioxidant capacity, and free amino acid profiles of longissimus thoracis (LT) than live bacteria without impairing porcine growth performance. Further, heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 supplementation favored up-regulating the expression of genes related to oxidative-type fiber in LT (P < 0.05). Proteomic analysis confirmed that Gene Ontology items related to oxidative metabolism were subsequently enriched with heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 treatment in LT (P < 0.05). Overall, dietary heat-killed B. laterosporus BL1 supplementation may improve the meat quality of finishing pigs, which provides application guidance for B. laterosporus BL1 in producing higher-quality pork.

Diets containing higher-amylose-content starches were proved to have some beneficial effects on monogastric animals, such as promoting the proliferation of intestinal probiotics. However, current research on the effects of diets with different starch sources on animals at the extraintestinal level is still very limited. We hypothesized that diets with different starch sources may affect lipid-related gene expression and metabolism in the liver of pigs. This study aimed to use adult pig models to evaluate the effects of diets with different starch sources (tapioca starch, TS; pea starch, PS) on the liver gene expressions and metabolism. In total, 48 growing pigs were randomly assigned to the TS and PS diets with 8 replicate pens/group and 3 pigs per pen. On day 44 of the experiment, liver samples were collected for metabolome and transcriptome analysis. Metabolome data suggested that different starch sources affected (p < 0.05) the metabolic patterns of liver. Compared with the TS diet, the PS diet increased (p < 0.05) some unsaturated fatty acids and several amino acids or peptide levels in the liver of pigs. Moreover, transcriptome data indicated the PS diets elevated (p < 0.05) fatty acid β-oxidation-related gene expression in the liver of pigs, and reduced (p < 0.05) unsaturated fatty acid metabolism-related gene expression. The results of quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that the PS diet upregulated (p < 0.05) the expression of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase very long chain (ACADVL), carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) 1A, and malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MLYCD), and downregulated (p < 0.05) the expression level of cytochrome P450 2U1 (CYP2U1) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 (ALDH1B1) in the liver. In addition, the results of a Mantel test indicated the muscle fatty acids were significantly closely correlated (p < 0.05) with liver gene expressions and metabolites. In summary, these findings suggest that diets containing higher amylose starches improved the lipid degradation and the unsaturated fatty acid levels in pig livers, and thus can generate some potential beneficial effects (such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant) on pig health.

The microbial community and metabolite profile during the fermentation of chrysanthemum waste (CW) were studied, as well as the effect of feeding fermented chrysanthemum waste (FCW) to sows. The nutritional value of CW fermented for 30-90 days was similar to that of CW fermented for 7 days. With increasing time, the number of bacterial species, richness index, and diversity index increased. The main genera were Pediococcus. A total of 270 different metabolites were identified in FCW, among which benzenoids, amino acids, flavonoids, fatty acids, and peptides were the most significantly different metabolites. Flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis were the most important metabolic pathways in fermentation. Feeding FCW to sows was beneficial for their production performance. These provide new insights into the characteristics of microbiome and metabolome associated with CW during long-term fermentation and the feed availability of FCW.